Hyperactivity vs ADD - What's The Difference?

A common misconception, when it comes to Attention Deficit Disorder, is that it is one in the same with hyperactivity. However, this is far from the truth. While people with ADD may exhibit signs of hyperactivity, it is not an inherent trait of the disorder and often does not occur with sufferers of ADD.

Hyperactivity is a general term referring to excessive and/or pathological activeness. This term is often used erroneously for an active person that does not meet the excessive criteria. It is important to understand that all children are active to a certain extent, and that some are even extremely active. However, this does not necessarily constitute hyperactivity. A hyperactive person will seem to be driven to movement, making it almost impossible to sit still.

If sitting, they will often fidget or talk excessively as a countermeasure. Hyperactivity is often difficult to assess in adults; however, children are much easier to diagnose.

Attention Deficit Disorder, on the other hand, is exhibited by inattentiveness, impulsiveness, and distractibility, but not necessarily hyperactivity. A child that suffers from ADD may have difficulty completing assignments, paying attention, and/or waiting their turn.

In order for any of these behaviors to constitute a disorder, they must be extreme, create difficulty in completing daily activities, and not be appropriate behavior for the age group of the child. They must also occur for an extended period of time, at least six months and be identifiable prior to the age of 7 and continue thereafter.

However, some children with ADD also have hyperactivity, demonstrated as excessive fidgeting, running, and jumping at inappropriate times.

They often seem to have an inability to be still. If a child exhibits hyperactivity in addition to Attention Deficit Disorder, they are often termed "ADHD": Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

While many people assume the term ADD is an antiquated version of ADHD, they actually refer to two different types of disorders.

In all, there are typically three variations of ADD or ADHD. These are (1) inattentive type, (2) hyperactive-impulsive type, and (3) combination. Obviously the inattentive type exhibits a difficulty in paying attention and completing activities, but is not hyperactive.

These children tend to be more difficult to diagnose. On the other hand, the hyperactive-impulsive type is extremely active and has a difficulty controlling their behavior. Of course, the third type is a combination of the two previous types and displays inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

Highly Contagious Smallpox

Smallpox, a highly contagious disease, is unique only to humans. The smallpox virus is caused by two virus variants called Variola major and Variola minor. Variola major is the more deadly form of the virus; it usually has a mortality rte of 20-40 percent of those that are infected with the virus. Variola minor on the other hand is much less severe and only kills 1% of its victims. Neither of the Variola's are bugs that you want to get. Avoid them at all costs!

Due to ulcerations of the cornea, many survivors of the smallpox virus are left in one or both of their eyes. Often times they will also have constant skin scarring. Over the 20th century the smallpox virus was responsible for an estimated 200-450 million deaths. After successfully completing several vaccination campaigns the World Health Organization(WHO) in 1979 stated that smallpox virus had been eradicated. Cultures of the virus are always kept at the Disease Control and Prevention which is located in the United States of America, as well as in the Institue of Virus Preparations that is in Siberia, Russia. After 1970 the vaccination was stopped in most places of the world, as the risks of the vaccination include death, among other side effects that aren't meant to joke around with.

After the anthraz attacks on the United Sates in 2001, there have been several concerns that smallpox has/will resurface and possibly become a virus for us in bioterrorism.

These concerns have in turn raised more concerns about the availability of vaccine stocks.

The concerns are soo great in fact that, President George W. Bush of the U.S.A. has ordered all of his American military personnel to be vaccinated against smallpox and has implemented a voluntary program for vaccinating emergency medical personnel.